1. Field
The aspects of the disclosed embodiment generally relate to substrate transports and, more particularly, to substrate carriers and their tool interface(s).
2. Brief Description of Related Developments
Substrates such as semiconductor wafers are generally carried between tools and stored in some form of carrier so the substrates are not exposed to the uncontrolled ambient environment in the semiconductor factory and protected from contaminants. Generally the carriers used remain at atmospheric pressure and chemistry in order to transport substrates to various processing equipment. Other substrate transport solutions include carriers that can be filled with an inert gas, such as nitrogen, but these carriers ultimately can expose the wafers to contamination because they are not hermetically sealed and the internal volume of the carrier can be exposed to uncontrolled environments on the processing equipment. A conventional carrier is constructed of materials which can attract moisture and oxygen and, in instances where moisture or oxygen is a contaminant of concern, the carrier internal environment during wafer transport or storage will likely result in contamination of the wafers. Even in the case of a conventional carrier filled with inert gas the water concentration inside the carrier can be elevated due to moisture entering the inert gas volume from internal carrier surfaces and this water can contaminate the wafer surface. It is noted that for some processes it is undesirable for substrates to be exposed to any type of contaminants, such as moisture, oxygen, and airborne particulates, when being transported from one tool to the next.